The next morning, at nine o’clock sharp.
The car was quiet as they drove toward the eting point.
Honne leaned back in her seat, flipped open her compact mirror, and examined her reflection with a critical eye, searching for any flaw her concealer might have missed.
Even with foundation, eyeshadow, and careful blending, the faint redness at the corners of her eyes still showed through. She snapped the mirror shut with a soft click and sighed. I should’ve iced them last night.
Just yesterday, the thought of seeing Alan again had been enough to make her heart race. Now, instead of excitent, a strange calm had settled over her. She glanced at her sister behind the wheel, confusion flickering in her eyes.
How could soone stop loving another person so suddenly?
Logically, Hojo falling out of love should have been good news. It should have felt like a victory, no different from hearing that Hojo and Alan had broken up.
Yet Honne felt no joy at all.
She knew better than anyone how deeply her sister had once loved him. That knowledge had tornted her with jealousy for years. She had never believed her own feelings were weaker, so why was Hojo the only one allowed to bask in his warmth, while she stood on the sidelines, not even permitted a taste?
More than once, she had dread of stealing him away.
Now that Hojo claid she no longer loved him, all Honne felt was doubt.
Could love really disappear so cleanly, like fireworks fading from the sky without leaving even smoke behind?
"Don’t space out. We’re almost there," Hojo said from the driver’s seat, eting her eyes in the rear-view mirror.
Honne didn’t answer. She straightened and turned to look out the window.
"Call tonight," Hojo continued. "Either you or Alan. I’ll co pick you up."
"Or you could not," Honne muttered, still refusing to look at her. Betraying love was unforgivable.
Hojo chuckled softly. "That works too, as long as Alan says it’s fine for you to stay over."
She eased the car to a stop at the bottom of the slope. "We’re here. He should be waiting."
"Rember what I told you—"
Honne didn’t reply.
Her eyes widened as she leaned toward the window, scanning the intersection ahead, searching for the familiar figure etched into her mories. Even with her heart weighed down, it fluttered at the thought of seeing him again.
The mont the car stopped, she flung the door open and jumped out. Sunlight spilled over her black hair as she stood there, breath caught in her throat, eyes darting anxiously across the street.
Then she saw him.
Akari Honne’s deep, almond-shaped eyes lit up, warmth spreading through her chest in an instant. Her heart began to pound hard against her ribs.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Joy rushed through her veins, flooding her entire body until even her fingertips tingled. Heat blood across her cheeks and chest, and before she could think better of it, her feet carried her forward.
She broke into a half-run, three steps turning into two, nearly leaping ahead. His silhouette sharpened with every stride until every familiar line of his face ca into focus.
The boy from her mories overlapped perfectly with the one standing there now.
A bright, crystalline smile burst across her face, impossible to hold back.
"Alan!"
Finally, finally, she was seeing him again.
Akari Honne threw herself straight into his arms.
"Alan..."
The na she had whispered countless tis spilled from her lips, light and effervescent, like the pop of orange soda under the sumr sun.
She bounded toward him like a startled rabbit.
The brilliance of her smile froze Alan in place.
Realizing she was about to crash into him, he quickly reached out and caught her around the waist. The soft curve beneath his palms made his heart skip.
Honne wrapped her pale arms around his neck and buried her small face against his chest, clinging to him like a koala as she breathed in his familiar scent.
"...?"
Her bluish-black hair brushed against his cheek, the faint fragrance of gardenias threading into his senses.
Alan tilted his head back slightly and murmured, "Honne...? Honne?"
"Mmm~"
A soft hum slipped from her lips, like a drowsy kitten. Her eyelashes fluttered, the corners of her eyes tinged pink.
Once he was sure she could stand steadily, Alan lowered his hands from her waist. "Alright, that’s enough. People are staring."
She answered with another quiet hum and tightened her grip instead.
He laughed helplessly. "You’re officially a koala now."
Unable to pry her off, he simply waited, hoping she would let go on her own.
When he glanced up, he saw Akari Hojo approaching with shopping bags in hand, a smile on her face that he couldn’t quite decipher. When their eyes t, he knew it wasn’t just amusent.
Hojo stopped beside them and looked at her sister, her voice light with mock surprise. "My, Honne, what exactly are you doing?"
"...."
Alan felt the girl in his arms tense, though she still refused to let go. Instead, she rubbed her cheek lightly against his shirt.
"If you keep doing that," Hojo added calmly, "all your face powder will end up on Alan’s clothes, and we won’t be going anywhere."
As if stung, Honne released him at once.
She turned away with a small hmph, pretending to smooth her hair while discreetly wiping away a tear at the corner of her eye. Hojo didn’t even try to hide her grin.
"Pfft. Just the other day you declared yourself an adult, and now you’re crying like a kid."
"You’re the kid!" Honne snapped, shooting her sister a glare.
Before Hojo could reply, Honne frowned. "Didn’t you say you had things to do? Why are you still here?"
Hojo’s eyes narrowed slightly, her tone cooling. "If you keep acting up, I’ll drive you straight back ho."
"...."
Honne folded her arms, muttering without looking at her.
"Then say it and an it."
Sensing the tension, Alan quickly changed the subject, nodding toward the paper bag in Hojo’s hand.
"What’s that?"
Hojo tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled gently at him. "She’s been planning her outfit for ages. She ant to change into it later, but she leapt out of the car like a monkey and forgot it."
She handed the bag to Alan. He peeked inside, looked like a yukata. Perfect for tonight.
From his side, Honne muttered, "...You’re the monkey."
Hojo pretended not to hear. "Alright. I only just got back to Tokyo yesterday, and I have errands to run. You two have fun. I’ll pick her up tonight, just call ."
Alan gave a vague nod, playing dumb.
Hojo studied his expression, then smiled faintly. "I saw your post yesterday. She’s very pretty."
The words Hojo had once said echoed in his mind.
I hope you won’t be as cruel to the next girl as you were to .
Hojo looked away, then gently patted her sister’s shoulder, ignoring Honne’s impatient glare.
"Happy birthday, Honne."
"Call when you’re heading back."
The simple wish seed to soften Honne’s expression. She replied quietly, "...Mm. Drive safely."
Hojo turned and left without looking back.
They stood there until her car disappeared around the corner.
She’s gone.
Thank goodness.
The instant the taillights vanished, Honne’s grin returned. She looped her arm through Alan’s and leaned half her weight against him.
The sudden warmth startled him. He imdiately pulled away.
"Eh?"
Honne blinked in shock. "Why’d you pull away?"
"Honne." Alan bent slightly to et her eyes. "It’s your birthday, so I’ll spend the day with you. But I have one rule."
She looked up at him, suddenly obedient.
"No touching. No clinging. No hugging."
"Aww..." She dragged the sound out and reached for his arm again. "But you used to let ..."
Alan sidestepped, her hand grasping only air.
"I have a girlfriend now. I can’t be careless with other girls, or people will call a player."
"But when you were dating my sister, you let hug you..."
"That was different. We both treated you like a little sister. My current girlfriend probably wouldn’t see it that way."
Honne frowned.
What a ridiculous excuse.
So shaless vixen had stolen him away. Disgusting.
Even without ever eting Nozomi Sakuea, Honne already hated her.
She bit her lip, thinking hard. Then her eyes lit up.
"But what if I get lost?"
"Alan, Tokyo’s huge. If I get lost, I’m done for. You’d never find ."
"I won’t hug you, but... can I hold your sleeve? That doesn’t count as touching, right?"
"...."
Alan studied her pitiful expression for a mont, then nodded slightly.
Yes!
Honne cheered silently and imdiately grabbed the cuff of his jacket, fingers curling around it.
Apparently satisfied with her restraint, Alan glanced at the faint flush on her cheeks.
"So," he asked, "where do you want to go first?"
He had planned to prepare the perfect birthday itinerary the mont she arrived in Tokyo, but Honne had insisted on deciding everything herself.
At his question, she raised her hand and pointed at a nearby sign, grinning brightly.
"We’re already here. Let’s climb Mount Takao!"
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